The Blacklist
Red (James Spader, pictured) is on the run in the Season 3 premiere of "The Blacklist." NBC

"The Blacklist" is back. Season 3 of the NBC drama will premiere on Thursday, Oct. 1, reuniting fans with Liz Keenan (Megan Boone) as she goes on the run with Raymond “Red” Reddington (James Spader) as a fugitive from her previous employer, the FBI.

Season 2 of “The Blacklist” ended with Liz killing the corrupt U.S. Attorney General Tom Connolly (Reed Birney) as the pair's battle with the Cabal reached its climax. The murder forced the duo to flee the country before their friends at the FBI -- Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff), Director Cooper (Harry Lennix) -- had to arrest them. Now fans will get to see what kind of a team Liz and Red make when all they have is each other.

Check out six things you need to know before the Season 3 premiere of “The Blacklist”:

1. Premiere Synopsis

According to the synopsis for episode 1, "The Troll Farmer," as the FBI hunts for Liz and Red, Red reaches out to an old accomplice for help, the Troll Farmer. Meanwhile, Dembe (Hisham Tawfiq) will be in danger when the Cabal uses his family as leverage to get to Red and Liz.

Watch Ressler and the FBI close in on Red and Liz's getaway van in a the first scene from the premiere below:

2. The Fixer

Speaking of Dembe, the reason he is in danger is that the Cabal will be sending a "fixer" after Red and Liz. “The Cabal is more desperate and therefore more dangerous and frankly bringing in more lethal people to handle the situation,” executive producer Jon Bokenkamp told Entertainment Weekly while teasing the debut of new character, Mr. Solomon (Edi Gathegi). “He’s a fixer for The Cabal and he’s ruthless. He’s really good at making things personal." As for Solomon's target -- "We’re actually going to realize Dembe’s not this lone wolf, that he has family outside the surrogate father that is Red." Uh oh!

3. Liz's New Look

To remain undercover Liz is undergoing a makeover, including a new blonde hairdo. Boone spoke to Entertainment Weekly about what the new look means for her character.

“She looks a lot more like her mother,” said Boone. “She’s transforming into a woman that was a mystery to her before.”

At the end of Season 2 Liz learned that her mother was a KGB agent known by her KGB alias Katarina Rostova. Liz has not seen her mother since she shot her father at the age of four to keep him from attacking her -- another late Season 2 revelation.

"The Blacklist" executive producer John Eisendrath says that the physical transformation in Liz will mirror a psychological one.

"She had a very idealistic world with a husband and a job, and everything was great,” Eisendrath told Entertainment Weekly. “And the direction she’s been pulled is a rather dark path. She’s been drawn into Reddington’s world, and I think she’s seeing similarities in herself to him that she may not want to recognize.”

4. FBI Friction

Liz's fugitive status means that her former friends in the FBI will be faced with having to track her down. That will be a hard pill for some on the task force to swallow.

“[Liz and Red on the run is] going to cause a lot of tension between those on the task force, each of whom has a very specific point of view about the value of [arresting Liz],” Eisendrath told TVLine earlier this month. “Ressler is a dogged, by-the-book guy who is going to bring [Liz and Red] in. At the same time, we have found opportunities for Red and Liz to convince the FBI that one of the best ways to keep track of them is to assist them in going after certain blacklisters, who Red and Liz are going after in order to exonerate Liz.”

5. Why So Serial?

In an interview with TVLine, Eisendrath teased that the show would be deviating from the procedural formula in Season 3 more than ever with its two main characters in hiding. According to the writer/producer, though the show will “still be delivering blacklisters" each week, the never-ending rolodex of criminals Red has lined up for the FBI, though the series “will have a different feel." Eisendrath says that Season 3 will incorporate a more serialized plot, so viewers will not want to miss any episodes! However, Eisendrath still says not to expect any answers about Red and Liz's connection any time soon.

6. Season 3 Trailer

Watch the trailer for "The Blacklist" Season 3 below:

"The Blacklist" Season 3 premieres Thursday, Oct. 1, at 9 p.m. EDT on NBC. Check back here Thursday night for a full recap!